In the Dark
by Ship's Cat
Summary: An explanation of why Chip Morton has an aversion to....eeek rodents!


**IN THE DARK**

by

Gail Gardner

I never figured to die this way.

I knew that you take risks when you join the service. They warned us, from the first days at Annapolis. Some of us would die. Or be wounded. Or hurt. In the line of duty.

Duty, hell! I'm going to die because someone else screwed up. Not an hour, no, not a minute goes by that I don't curse Robert Stanford Carson Junior and his father the Honorable Robert Stanford Carson Senior. Junior for being an asshole and making this mess and Senior for ordering me and _begging _me to save his son. By taking his place. By enduring the torture, the questioning, the damp confines of this hell hole with...them.

Always hated them. They're twitchy. The worst I ever had to endure until now was the usual experiment in labs and the ones that our neighbours, the McGinty's had as pets. These aren't even remotely cute. They are big, vicious, and we are at war.

The rats are winning.

Wonder what Lee would have done? I haven't heard from him in over four months. Not that either one of us has had time to write. Or maybe anything to say. We had always kidded about sticking together. The Crane/ Morton team. After sub school he got scooped up and spirited away somewhere to do spook stuff. I got sidetracked into desk work. I didn't really want it, did I? Lieutenant (jg) Morton, whiz at sitting behind a desk.

It is just as well. Look where I am now.

I got grabbed up to do protocol work in the Near East. Plush assignment, good possibilities, meet new and interesting people. People who don't really like westerners, especially ones who try to smuggle drugs. Like Robby boy, blue-eyed fair haired spoiled son of a b-, diplomat. We looked enough alike, even though I didn't have Robby's loose morals or lack of brains, or vacant stare. Senior begged me to take his place, just until sonny boy could be spirited out of the country.

What was I trying to prove? That I could do something? Be like Lee? That they wouldn't see right away that I wasn't the type of guy who smuggles drugs. Who hides behind Daddy's diplomatic status? They knew right away. This is why ONI tapped Lee, and not me. So, they beat me for that. They broke my leg for that. They threatened...no don't even think of what they threatened, Morton.

They are watching. Waiting for me to sleep or merely drop my guard. They are slowly eating me alive. I can't stand this much longer. I wish that I would be just killed outright. No, not yet. I can't give up yet. I just have to hang on. Someone will come for me. God I wish Lee was here. He always knew what to do.

Something is dripping down my face and I realize that I am crying. It's not just the pain, it's the helplessness. It's...Get away!! Go away!! I try to pull myself away from them, try to ignore the pain as my leg drags across the floor. One of them is hanging off my hand and I pull it off tearing the skin. I throw the rat across the room. It hits the wall with a satisfying soggy splot. The others scurry over to take advantage of easy meat. I cover my ears with my bloody hands to avoid the sounds of their squeaking and the faint crunching sounds.

Lieutenant Charles Philip Morton, United States Navy, serial number. I swallow and start again. Lieutenant junior grade Charles Philip Morton, United, uh United States, States Navy...serial Lieutenant Morton...Chip. My friends call me Chip...

Memo: To Ambassador Smith

from Captain Blackman

Smitty,

That was a hell of a mess that Carson left us with. I know you are more concerned about the diplomatic side, but I damn near lost a man. The doctors say that the physical harm will heal, but that was badly traumatized. That dungeon they had him shut up in for two weeks while you boys played trade me - trade you had rats in it the size of terriers.

Damn it Smitty, I can't believe that Carson and that nitwit of a son of his are getting away with this. Just a diplomatic slap on the wrist.

I'll see that Morton gets some easy duty, a desk job, when he recovers. Hell of a way to start a Navy career. That boy had real promise.

Oliver

The scars faded in time. The nightmares also went away, though it took much longer and sometimes, well I can handle it. I still hate rats, mice too, any kind of rodent. Lee teases me about it.

But that is because I never told him. It wasn't just the rats that scared me, it was being left behind that terrified me.

So, I stayed safe behind a desk, until Admiral Nelson offered me a berth on the Seaview. He believed in me, made me believe in myself again. Then, when Lee came aboard as Captain I knew I was doing what I should, what I could really do best.

The Crane/Morton team, it has always been that way with Lee and me. He's the leader, he's the one who would never leave me behind. And I would do the same for him.

_Authors Note: This is a rather noir piece. I always wondered why Chip Morton had a lower rank than Lee Crane, even though they graduated one and two from Annapolis. I also wanted to explore why he was afraid of rats. GG_


End file.
